The Dust Mass of Supernova Remnants in M31

The dust temperature and mass of the supernova remnants (SNRs) in M31 are estimated by fitting the infrared spectral energy distribution calculated from the images in the Spitzer/IRAC4 and MIPS24, Herschel/PACS70, 100, and 160, and Herschel/SPIRE 250 and 350 μm bands. Twenty SNRs with relatively reliable photometry exhibit an average dust temperature of 20.1 − 1.5 + 1.8 K, which is higher than the surrounding and indicating the heating effect of supernova explosion. The dust mass of these SNRs ranges from about 100 to 800 M ⊙, much bigger than the SNRs in the Milky Way. On the other hand, this yields the dust surface density of 0.10 − 0.04 + 0.07 M ⊙ pc−2, about half of the surrounding area, which implies that about half dust in the SNRs is destroyed by the supernova explosion. The dust temperature, the radius, and thus the dust mass all demonstrate that the studied SNRs are old and very likely in the snowplow or even fade-away phase because of the limitation by the far distance and observation resolution of M31, and the results can serve as a reference to the final effect of supernova explosion on the surrounding dust.

Clustering and hotel room prices in Dubai

In this article, we study the influence of the room properties, hotel amenities, hotel location, and, more importantly, the characteristics of hotels in the surrounding area on the prices of hotel rooms. The effects of different determinants are estimated using the hedonic price model for a cross-section of 250 hotels in Dubai. In addition to the typical characteristics of hotels and hotel rooms such as hotel amenities, star rating, and room size, we include location-specific characteristics such as accessibility to public transportation, airport, and, more importantly, clustering variables to capture the effects of local competition and spillovers from surrounding hotels. Our results indicate significant and strong effects of accessibility to attractions, transportation, hotel’s star rating, and room size, as expected. Our estimations also indicate that local competition reduces the room price, and local quality spillover increases the room price, and both effects are predominantly limited to the hotel’s immediate surroundings. Our estimations indicate that having one more hotel in the immediate surroundings decreases the room price by about one percent, and an increase in the average quality of the hotels in the immediate surroundings by one star rating increases the room price by more than 20%.

Otolaryngology residency program websites in a socially distanced application cycle

Objective To provide an updated evaluation of otolaryngology residency program websites during a socially distanced application cycle. Criteria were selected to evaluate for level of comprehensiveness, new content accommodating a virtual interview cycle, and stated commitment to diversity and inclusion. Study design Review of otolaryngology residency program websites. Setting Online websites between December 2020 and January 2021. Methods Otolaryngology residency program websites were evaluated for selected criteria. Programs were categorized by geographic location, size, and Doximity rankings. Differences between groups were analyzed using Student’s t-test and analysis of variance with a significance level of P < .05. Results 118 otolaryngology residency program websites contained a mean (SD) of 16.3 (4.7) of 31 criteria (52.6%). Fewer than one third included virtual/video tours of facilities or the surrounding area. Only 33% had a stated commitment to diversity and inclusion. There was no difference in number of criteria included when categorized by geographic location ( P = .22). Larger programs (17.9 vs 14.5, P < .001) and programs ranked in the top 50 by Doximity (17.7 vs 15.2, P = .003) included a significantly greater number of criteria. Conclusion While the comprehensiveness of otolaryngology residency program websites has improved, considerable room for improvement remains. Programs should strive to maintain updated websites that highlight training opportunities, program culture, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Programs also should consider prioritizing the development of new online resources that may be especially useful to applicants during a virtual interview cycle.

Modeling impacts of industrial park activity on air quality of surrounding area for identifying isolation distance: A case of Tan Tao Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Industrial factories have been addressed as the main contributor to the amount of air pollution in many urban areas around the world. The emissions of air pollutants from factories, combined with exhausted gases from automobile and domestic cooking activities, have placed enormous adverse effects on human health. Recently, air quality models, which usually figure out for industrial emission with representative indicators such as CO, NO2, SO2, and TSP, have triggered an application to identify a suitable isolation distance that could lessen affection on public health. Concerning to develop an air emission inventory for Tan Tao Industrial Park (IP) for three sources of points, line and area sources by using top-down and bottom-up approaches, this study aim to: (i) apply a system model of TAPM – AERMOD model to study the air pollution dispersion from the IP to the surrounding area, and (ii) identify a hygiene isolation distance for sensitive objects around industrial park, especially zones of community, based on their separating demand from contamination. Results show that the point sources are the dominant air emission sources of Tan Tao IP. Total emissions of Tan Tao IP in 2019 estimated at 413.15 tons of TSP/year, 280.9 tons of NO2/year, 621.99 tons of SO2/year, and 2720.21 tons of CO/year. Modeling results show that 1-hour maximum concentration of TSP, NO2, SO2, and CO in the simulation area is 581µg/m3, 4.069µg/m3, 5.478µg/m3, 40.695µg/m3, respectively, exceeding the standards. Especially, the pollution levels of NO2 were 20 times higher than the limit value, similar trends for SO2 (15 times higher). The hygiene isolation distance was suggested a widely ranged from 2910 meters in the North-West and in the rest directions of Ho Chi Minh City. Some sensitive objects such as residential areas, hospitals and kindergartens recently are inside the affected zone should be reckoned to have suitable solutions that keep their health safe. The method for calculation of hygiene isolation distances from industrial activities has a significant guiding not only for environmental safety action but also for public health protection.

Effect of Lane Narrowing Implemented on an Urban Dual Carriageway on Speed Reduction and Acoustic Environment

The on-going growth in the use of motor vehicles leads to a number of traffic safety problems. Therefore, various traffic calming measures are applied to increase traffic safety in built-up areas. Lane narrowing is one of the techniques used to influence the perception of drivers and make them slow down. With this in mind, the authors conducted traffic volume and speed counts before and after installation of the lane narrowing treatment, covering 100 passing vehicles, at an intersection between an urban dual carriageway and an estate street where over a dozen fatal accidents occurred in the recent years. Traffic noise was also measured, both before and after lane narrowing. The traffic count data were analysed to show speed reduction by ca. 15 km/h, yet in all cases still above 50 km/h, which is the speed limit applicable to built-up areas in Poland. The analysis of the “before” and “after” noise maps showed only minor changes to the distribution of noise. The locations of these changes to the acoustic environment depended on the speed and volume of traffic and, much more importantly, on the topography of the surrounding area, the existing roadside layered landscape and the type of planted vegetation. The detailed analyses of the analysed parameters demonstrated that sustainable design of traffic calming measures on urban dual carriageways must consider not only the desired speed reduction but also the surrounding landscape and the local topography.

Vegetation of surrounding area of Chupriyanovka station and its antropogenic modification

В статье описан опыт крупномасштабного геоботанического картографирования популярного у дачников и отдыхающих участка «Чуприяновка», расположенного в нескольких километрах от окраины г. Тверь. Кроме естественных биоценозов выявлены антропогенно-измененные ассоциации, созданные человеком. Изложена методика картографирования, представлена карта, легенда и краткое описание выявленных растительных ассоциаций. Here we present a large-scale geobotanical mapping of Chuprijanovka area, a popular holiday site located near the city of Tver. In addition to natural biocenoses, anthropogenically altered associations created by humans have been identified. The method of mapping is presented, a map, a legend, and a brief description of the identified plant associations are presented.

The Level of Knowledge About the University Building Among the Academic Community in the Context of Place Attachment

This paper presents the issues of place and attachment to place. The aim of the article is to determine the level of knowledge among the academic community of the university building in which they study or work and its surrounding area, in the context of place attachment. The cognitive component – one of many aspects of identifying with a place – was examined. With limited knowledge about the building in which the study population spends time, calculated in months or years, it is difficult to determine place attachment, identification, or experience. The research method applied was a diagnostic survey, a questionnaire consisting of questions designed by the author. Both students and academics were surveyed. The results showed that students have limited knowledge of the building where they attend classes. The university building appears to be more of an anonymous non-place, without deeper symbolic or social meanings, than a place with which the academic community identifies itself.

Pollutant Concentration Changes During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Barcelona and Surrounding Regions: Modification of Diurnal Cycles and Limited Role of Meteorological Conditions

One of the consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns has been the modification of the air quality in many cities around the world. This study focuses on the variations in pollutant concentrations and how important meteorological conditions were for those variations in Barcelona and the surrounding area during the 2020 lockdown. Boundary-layer height, wind speed, and precipitation were compared between mid-March and April 2016–2019 (pre-lockdown) and the same period in 2020 (during lockdown). The results show the limited influence of meteorological factors on horizontal and vertical dispersion conditions. Compared with the pre-lockdown period, during lockdown the boundary-layer height slightly increased by between 5% and 9%, mean wind speed was very similar, and the fraction of days with rainfall increased only marginally, from 0.33 to 0.34, even though April 2020 was extremely wet in the study area. Variations in nitrogen dioxide ($$\hbox {NO}_{{2}}$$ NO 2 ), particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 $${\mu }$$ μ m (PM10), and ozone ($$\hbox {O}_{{3}}$$ O 3 ) concentrations over a 10-year period showed a 66% reduction in $$\hbox {NO}_{{2}}$$ NO 2 , 37% reduction in PM10, and 27% increase in $$\hbox {O}_{{3}}$$ O 3 at a traffic station in Barcelona. The differences in the daily concentration cycle between weekends and weekdays were heavily smoothed for all pollutants considered. The afternoon $$\hbox {NO}_{{2}}$$ NO 2 peak at the traffic station was suppressed compared with the average daily cycle. The analysis of ozone was extended to the regional scale, revealing lower concentrations at rural sites and higher ones in urban zones, especially in Barcelona and the surrounding area. The results presented not only complement previous air quality COVID-19 lockdown studies but also provide insights into the effects of road-traffic reduction.

The Empowerment of Infaq and Waqf Evaluation in light of Maqasid al-Sharia Perspective in Mosques in Palangka Raya, Indonesia

In a community in Indonesia, the proposal of establishing a mosque as the activity center has increasingly bloomed. This program restores the exuberance of the mosque through religious practices and places it as the center of community life in social, cultural, and economic aspects. In Palangka Raya, several mosques played an economic role in building bazaars around mosques, including bistros and other small businesses. Given that most of the mosques in the city have obtained large amounts of infaq (almsgiving) and waqf, it is essential to know the extent to which these funds are used in improving the economy of Muslims, especially in Palangka Raya and its surrounding area. The researchers used qualitative research by extracting primary data through interviews, observations, and documentation. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of empowerment of infaq and waqf in the mosques of Palangka Raya City in the maqasid al-shariaperspective. This study argued that the problems in the economic empowerment plan for mosques in Palangka Raya were the lack of human resources (HR), socialization, and funds. Therefore, to minimize the drawbacks, mosque management should continue to improve its quality by socializing mosque programs, providing training for new mosque cadres, and offering professional development for existing human resources on managing zakat, infaq, and sadaqah to maximize the mosque income.